KEY POINTS
- Nigeria is strengthening its sub-national data collection to improve the quality of national greenhouse gas inventories and Biennial Transparency Reports.
- The Ministry of Environment has established a structured technical platform to bridge climate policy and practice between federal and state levels.
- The Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP) is rating climate governance across all 36 states to galvanize action and improve readiness for climate finance.
MAIN STORY
Nigeria is intensifying efforts to strengthen its transparency framework by utilizing reliable sub-national data to determine the quality of its national greenhouse gas inventories and adaptation reporting.
Speaking at a peer learning workshop in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Lawal, emphasized that state and local governments are the “engine rooms” of the country’s climate implementation.
The workshop, organized for the 36 State Commissioners for Environment, focused on the performance rating and ranking of sub-national climate governance. Lawal, represented by Dr. Iniobong Abiola-Awe, stated that tangible progress in clean energy adoption, flood resilience, and waste management occurs primarily at the local level.
He noted that translating Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitments into measurable results requires standardized Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) frameworks across all states.
Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, President of the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), noted that while states were previously ignored in national policy, this initiative has already led to two cycles of state-level rankings. According to Okereke, the ranking system is designed to facilitate climate action rather than just assign scores.
The second ranking revealed that nearly all 36 states have improved their climate governance performance, with the workshop serving as a platform for commissioners to co-create the methodology for the upcoming third ranking cycle.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
- “States are the engine rooms of implementation… translating those commitments into measurable results requires strong sub national engagement,” stated Malam Balarabe Lawal.
- Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke observed: “One of the most remarkable things that we have seen between the first and the second ranking is that almost all of the 36 states improved in their climate governance performance.”
- Dr. Nura Kazaure, Jigawa Commissioner for Environment, added: “We are going to ensure we adopt all climate measures… in order to come with a good template for all states.”
WHAT’S NEXT
- The Department of Climate Change will provide templates and coordination mechanisms to help states align indicators for international reporting.
- Commissioners will review and provide input on the framework for the third state climate governance ranking to ensure collective ownership.
- Efforts will focus on enhancing the capacity of states to attract climate finance and participate in carbon market opportunities.
BOTTOM LINE
The Bottom Line is that Nigeria’s climate resilience depends on standardized, data-driven governance at the state level. By institutionalizing peer learning and a competitive ranking system, the Ministry of Environment aims to position Nigeria’s sub-national actors as credible participants in the global climate arena while ensuring consistency in reporting national climate progress.
